Tuesday, April 13, 2010

I've been nudged to update as I haven't posted in a while - sorry, been busy with work and partying and being lazy!

I have now been tattooed ready for my radiotherapy. Met with Dr Iqbal who ran through a few things about the treatment - basically just the consent form, including a laissez-faire mention of "it can cause lung damage and future cancers" . Then I was whisked through to the machine and the nurses/technicians who drew all over me, then gave me the tattoos. They are the smallest things possible, no bigger than the full stop on this page, if even that. There is one in the centre of my chest on the bra strap line, and one on each side under my arms - I can't see those! They add the ink, then there is a tiny scratch and its all done.

With the various markings on, you are then put through a CT scanner with your arms above your head, and they will use the scan results to decide where to target. I shall ask more about what they see on the scan when I go next time... are they looking for stray cancer cells?? Lymph nodes?

I asked for appointments as late in the day as possible, and called this week to find out what was happening as I hadn't heard, and it seems they have made most of the appointments for 5pm or 5.30pm, except for a couple where you have to have a review appointment. I still haven't had the letter confirming all this though. It will start on 4th May, which is a little later than I expected, but hey ho.

On other stuff, I have been very well since the last chemo until yesterday when I got a cold - but I don't have a temperature and it is the first cough/cold I have had since I started all this 5 months ago, so it is just one of those things.

We had a small post-chemo party last saturday, which happened to coincide with the Grand National, so that was our theme. I went as Red Marauder (winner 2001), Greg was Flintoff (a runner that day), Marcus was Becher's Brook, Charlotte was a race goer on Ladies Day, Penny was a jockey, Theo was a horse, Hannah and Patrick were Team Spirit (1964 winner), Katie and the other Charlotte were both Black Beauty, Luke was Royal Athlete (1995 winner) and Jamie was.... Buzz Lightyear! He's only 3, and is obsessed, bless!! It was all good fun - we have eaten nothing but leftovers since!

I started my Tamoxifen just over a week ago, and the only side effect seems to be a slight loss of appetite on occasion (although I have lost no overall weight, even though my body fat % is down...) so, just getting on with life and work until 4th May now.

If I don't report back for a while, its cos nothing has changed, I promise!! xxxx